And henry cooper



(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. P. OBRIEN & H. COOPER. 00m CONTROLLED BLOW TESTER.

No. 437,382. Patented Sept. so, 1890.

(N o Model.) V 3Sheets-Sheet 2. J. P. OBRIEN & H. COOPER.-

oom CONTROLLED BLOW TESTER. No. 437,382.

P t. t. 30, 1890. ,1 a ented Sep.

(Np Medal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J; P. OBRIBN & H. COOPER. 00m GONTROLLED BLOW TESTER.

No. 437,382.. Patented Sept. 30, 1890.,

UNITED STATES PATENT WQFFICE,

JAMES P. OBRlEN, OF NFlV YORK, AND HENRY COOPER, OF BROOKLYN,

ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND HESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO SAID OBRIEN AND BERNARD VAN LEER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COIN-CONTROLLED BLOW-TESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,382, dated September 30, 1890.

Application filed August 2, 1889.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES PATRICK OBRIEN, of the city, county, and State of New York, and HENRY COOPER, of Brooklyn,

in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, both citizens of the United States, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Coin-Controlled Blow-Testin g Machines, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to machines for receiving and automatically indicating the force of a blow, particularly those which are set for action by, and can be operated only on, insertion of a coin of a certain size or weight. These machines generally comprise a movable padded punching-head on which the blow is struck, a spring or other reacting device acting on the punching-head against the force of the blow, an index adapted to be 0perated by the punching-head and to indicate the extent of movement of the same and thus the force of the blow, means for temporarily retaining the index at the point to which it is moved so that it can be observed by the 2 5 operator, and for afterward returning the illdex'to zero and a contrivance whereby the machine is rendered operative on and only on insertion of the proper coin.

The objects of the present invention are to 0 absolutely prevent the movement of the punching-head except when released by the payment of the proper coin; to inform the intending user when and whether the punching-head is locked or released; to secure the 5 immediate return of the punching-head to its normalposition and the automatic locking of the same after each blow is struck, while at I the same time providing for the temporary locking of the index at the point to which it is moved, and preventing it from being thrown beyond that point by its momentum,

and to provide for the release of the index and its return to zero a short time afterward,

either automatically or by hand, all by simple and efficient means.

The invention consists of certain novel combinations of parts and features of con struction, hereinafter particularly set forth in the claims; and in order that the invention Serial No. 319,600. [No model.)

may be fully'understood, we will previous to claiming the invention describe in detail the mode in which the same may be carried into efiect. I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a face view of a coin-controlled blow-testing machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the said machine. Fig. 3-is a rear view of the same, the back of the machine-case being removed and the base being broken off. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the same on the line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on the line 5 5, Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view on the line 6 6, Fig. 3. Fig. 7is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the machine on the line 7 7, Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of a part of the same on the line 8 8, Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a detail plan view of part of the shank ofv the punching-head of thesalne. Fig. 10 is a detail view illustrating mechanism forming part of our invention for automatically releasing andpermitting the return of the index after a temporary detention.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in theseveral figures.

In the construction of the machine thus illustrated an upright hollow case A is rigidly secured and braced upon a floor or other suitable base, and the standard A, forming the front of the case, is provided on its face. with a circular scale A the graduations of which are numberedin order to denote pounds.

A padded headO, having a tubular shank C, is arranged to project from the front of the case A at a convenient height for the average man to punch, and the shank O is mounted to slide lengthwise in a fixed tubular guide 0 projecting from the back of the standard A and having on its rear end a stop 0 between which and the punching-head O is interposed a stiff coiled spring 0 by which the punching-head O is normally held proj ected, but which will permit the head to move inward when struck a distance proportionate to the force of the blow.

The shank C is provided with a projecting lug D, whichrides in a longitudinal slot formed in the tubular guide 0 so as to prevent the shank from turning and to limit its movement in the guide.

In the path of the lug D is arranged to slide in straight guides D fixed above and parallel to the tubular guide 0 a loose cross-head D which is adapted to be carried inward by and with the shank 0 when forced inward by a blow upon the punching-head C, but being separate from the shank will allow the same to be projected again by the reaction of the coiled-spring 0 immediately after the blow is struck and itself remain stationary.

To the cross-head D is attached one end of a strong chain cable D, which runs forward around a stationary pulley D then upward, and is attached to the lower end of a rackbar ,E, which is mounted to slide vertically in fixed guides E on the back of the standard A ,so that when the punching-head O is forced inward by a blow the rack-barE will be drawn downward a distance exactly proportionate to the force of the blow and remain in such position while the punching-head is again projected.

An adjustable spring-arm E is attached to the back of the standard A, and its free end arranged to bear upward against a projection E on the rack-bar E, so as to normally sustain the said rack-bar and by its reaction to return the rack-bar when free to its normal position after being drawn downward, as stated.

The upper end of the rack-bar E is provided with a plunger E working loosely in a downwardly-opening cylinder E fixed to the standard A, so that the return of the rackbar will be checked and thus accomplished without noise, and a fixed stop E is arranged to bar the projection E on the rack-bar, and thus limit the return of the rack-bar at the proper point.

The upper series of teeth E of the rackbar E are geared with a pinion E fixed on an arbor which projects through the standard A at the center of the scale B on the face thereof, and carries an index E", which turns over and registers with the divisions of the said scale.

The adjustment and arrangement are such that when the punching-head C is fully projected and the rack-bar E at its uppermost position the index E will register with zero of the scale A and when the rack-bar E is drawn downward by a blow on the punchinghead the index E will turn to coincidence with a number of the scale representing the force of the blow struck in pounds.

The lower series of teeth F on the rack-bar E are geared with a pinion F, fixed to and turning on a common pivot F with a finetoothed ratchet-wheel F which is normally engaged bya sliding spring-actuated multipletoothed dog F so that when the index-operating rack-bar E is drawn downward, as described, it will be automatically locked at the termination of its downward movement, and the index thus held in the position into which it may be thrown, whereby the user will be given ample time to note the force of his blow.

The dog F acts also as a check to prevent the momentum of the moving parts from carrymit the index E to be returnedto zero by the reaction of the spring-arm E before described.

The piston G is shown in Fig. 10 provided with a hemispherical rubber or leather cup or valve, placed with its convex face uppermost. This arrangement permits it to be readily moved upward; but when forced downward it tends to expand and closely hugs the wall of the cylinder, thereby confining the air beneath it and retarding its descent.

In some cases, to insure the return of the index to zero after each blow is struck, we use in addition an automatic time-index-releasing device, as shown in Fig. 10, which also forms part of our invention.

This device comprises another gravity or spring-actuated multiple-toothed dog G to engage the ratchet-wheel F in gear with the index; a pivotal finger-lever G arranged when swung on its pivot to engage a shoulder on the dog G and retract the same from the ratchet-wheel F a plunger G carrying a pin G working in a slot in the finger-lever G and arranged, when raised, to swing the fingerlever and let the dog G engage the ratchetwheel F and, when lowered, to disengage the dog therefrom; guides G in which the plunger works; a pivotal plunger-operatin g lever G connected at one end to the plunger and having in its other end a beveled retractible spring-projected bolt G a beveled tappet G on the rack-bar E, adapted, wh en the rack-bar is drawn downward by a blow, to strike the bolt G raise the plunger G and permit the dog G to lock the rack-bar and index at the termination of their movement, as before described, and a fixed upwardly-opening cylinder G in which a valved piston G on the end of the plunger G works, whereby after the plunger is raised, as stated, the valve of the piston G, which opened so as to unimpede such movement, will close and check'the fall of the plunger by inclosing the, air in the cylinder, and the retraction of the dog and release of the index thus be delayed until the plunger reaches the end of its slow down- The temporary retention of the index can be made as long as desired by- I V I 4 V ward movement.

adjusting the valve of the piston G9 in a common manner.

To prevent any movement of the punchinghead 0 save on payment of the proper coin, the tubular shank O and its fixed guide 0 are formed wit-h lateral cross-slots H H, respectively, which are arranged to coincide when the punching-head is in its outermost position, as shown in Fig. 8. A stout bolt H formed on one arm of a pivotal weighing-lever H is arranged to normally overbalance the other arm of said weighing-lever and fall between the shoulders formed by the slots H H when coincident, and thus securely lock the shank O to its guide 0 whereby movement of the punching-head is prevented.

The other arm of the weighing-lever H carries a coin-bucket H, which is normally held at the discharge end of a coin-chute K, extending upward and outward through the front of the case A of the machine. The mouth K of the coin-chute K is of such a size and shape as to admit only coins below a certain size. The weighing-lever H is so adjusted that its bolt-arm will ascend and release the punching-head only when overbalanced by the fall into the bucket H of a coin of a certain weight. Further, the bottom H of the coin-bucket, which bottom is movable for a purpose hereinafter described, is provided with a hole H of such a size that the bucket will retain a coin of a certain size and let smaller onesfall out immediately into the case. Thus by a proper adjustment of the parts referred to the machine can be suited to a certain coin only, while other coins are either excluded orreceived without affecting the machine.

In the front of the standard A is provided a window L, back of which is pivoted to swing vertically a carrier L, supporting a double sign L on one part of which is printed or produced a warning not to strikeas, for instance, the words Wait for signal-and on the other part a signal to strike, such as the word Time. The carrier L is connected by a rod L with the bolt-carrying lever H,

the arrangement being such that when the bolt H is in its lower locking position the above-mentioned warning will appear at the window and inform the intending user not to strike; but when the bolt H is raised by the fall of the proper coin from the chute into the bucket H and the punching-head thus left free to operate, the sign L will swing so as to conceal the warning and display the signal to strike, and thus indicate that the machine can be used. The blow being struck, the index will be swung to the appropriate number of the scale and remain there until reset automatically or by hand, as before described.

The movable bottom H of the coin-bucket H is carried by pendent arms M, pivoted at their upper ends to the opposite ends of the bucket, and is formed with an arm M, projecting laterally over a pivotal tripper M which is connected by a link M with one arm of a pivotal lever M the other arm of which is'forked so as to embrace, when the punching-head is projected, a lug M attached to the shank of the same. The arrangement is such that when the punching-head is normally projected the tripper M .will be lowered to allow the bottom H of the bucket to swing by gravity in place and retain the proper coin deposited therein and said bucket to fall with the weight of the coin and release the punching-head; but when the punchinghead is forced inward by the blow the lug M on its shank'will swing the forked lever M and thus the tripper M which latter will displace the bottom H of the bucket H and dump the coin. Then as the shank C is immediately projected again by its reacting spring 0 as soon as its slot H comes into register with the slot H in the guide 0 the bolt H being no longer overbalanced, will fall by gravity into said slots H H, and thus automatically lock the punching-head against movement. A choke-spring N is arranged to bear on the forked lever M so as to prevent the same from swinging save when the prongs of its fork are struck by the lug M on the shank C.

WVe claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a blow-testing machine, the combination, with the case, the punching-head having a shank, its reacting device and guide, of a sliding cross-head adapted to be moved by the said shank when forced inward only, the cross-head guide, an index, and index-operating devices connected with the sliding crosshead, substantially as described.

2. In a coin-controlled blow-testing machine, the combination, with a punching-head having a shank and a lug thereon, its reacting device, and its guide, of a shank-locking device, a weighing-lever to operate said locking device carrying a dumping-coin bucket, a tripper to dump said bucket, a pivotal lever having a fork normally embracing the lug on the punching-head shank, and a connection between the forked lever and the said tripper, substantially as described. 3. In a blow-testing machine, the combination, with the case, the punching-head, and its reacting device, of an index, its returning spring, index-operating gear adapted to be operated by the punching-head when forced inward only, a self-acting dog to engage and restrain the index-gear, means for disengaging said dog, and an air-cushioning check device to retard the return of the index-gear, substantially as described.

4. In a blow-testing machine, the combination, with the case, the punching-head and its reacting device,'of an index, its returningspring, index-operating gear adapted to be operated by the punching-head when forced inward only, a check device to retard the return of the index-gear by its spring, and adjusting devices for regulating the tension of gear comprising a ratchet adapted to be operated by the punching-head when forced in- Ward only, a self-acting dog to engage said ratchet and restrain the index-gear, a self- 2o acting dog-retractor, and mechanism whereby the said retractor is released by the motion of the index-gear, and the dog thus permitted to engage the index-gear, of an air-cushioning check; device to retard the reaction of the 25 dog-retractor, and thus delay the release of the index-gear, substantially as described.

JAs'. P. 'OBRIEN. HENRY, COOPER.

Witnesses to said James P. OBrien:

CLARENCE A. BURGER, FRED. T. BENNETT.

Witnesses to I-Ienry Coopers signature:

B. VAN LEER, CLARENCE A. BURGER. 

